11/15/11 - The Manufacturing Institute announced a new partnership with the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International (FMA) to bring precision metal fabrication certifications to the array of postsecondary education pathways developed to prepare individuals for in-demand careers in manufacturing. The partnership adds FMA’s Precision Sheet Metal Operator (PSMO) certification program to the offerings of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)-Endorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification System.

“As manufacturing leads the way to economic recovery, now is the time to expand the Manufacturing Skills Certification System and develop the educational pathways to specific in-demand careers in manufacturing. Precision sheet metal operation expertise is essential to business success and competitiveness across multiple sectors of manufacturing,” said Emily Stover DeRocco, president, The Manufacturing Institute. “We are pleased to welcome FMA as a key partner in the national manufacturing credential system.”

“The content of the PSMO program is extensive and has been developed over a period of years by a dedicated task force of industry professionals,” said Jim Warren, director of education and membership, FMA. “The certification validates that the employee who passes the exam has a solid grounding in the science and math behind the technology. It focuses on the fundamentals of metal fabrication like blueprint reading and math calculations and assesses the basic knowledge needed for working with press brakes, shears, lasers or other precision fabricating equipment.”

As a partner in the Manufacturing Skills Certification System, FMA will:

Support education’s efforts to align with these nationally portable, industry-recognized credentials with educational curricula and pathways in secondary and postsecondary programs of study, that lead to high-wage, high-growth technical careers;

Provide information on these educational pathways that lead to advanced manufacturing career pathways, to help connect students and workers to lifelong learning and advancement opportunities;

Ensure that advanced manufacturing employers recognize the value of these credentials in their recruitment, screening and hiring processes by recognizing, preferring or requiring portable, industry-recognized credentials.